Prophecies
by Miss Hermione Granger 1995
Summary: "The daughter of brains and the son of courage will unite on the fifteenth year" - Rose and James Sirius are best friends with parents set to fulfill a prophecy. Will things work out for the best? Or will some things get in the way of true love?
1. Authors Note

**Prophecies Introduction:**

**Harry Potter & Ginny Weasley – married with three children, James (14; going into fourth year in Hogwarts), Albus (12; going into third year in Hogwarts) and Lily (7; has started showing early signs of magical ability). Living in Godric's Hallow.**

**Hermione Granger & Jacob Davis – divorced with two children, Rose (14; starting into fourth year in Hogwarts) and Hugo (7; no signs of magical ability yet). Jacob living in New York, Hermione and kids living in London. (Story starts when Hermione and Rose are going over to London; Hugo will soon join them)**

**Ron Weasley – widower with four children, Jason (17; repeating final year in Hogwarts because of grades), Sierra (15; going into fifth year in Hogwarts), Sam (14; going into fourth year in Hogwarts) and Anna (9; no signs of magical ability yet). Living in Godric's Hallow, near Harry & Ginny.**

**Luna Lovegood & Dean Thomas – married with one child, Lorcan (12; going into second year in Hogwarts) and twins on the way. Living in central London.**

**Lavander Brown & Seamus Finnigan – engaged with one child, Diarmuid (3; started riding first "broomstick"). Living in Dublin, but visit London once a month.**

**Neville Longbottom & Jesicca Daniels – married with five children, Neil (18; training to be an Auror), twins Dave and Darina (16; going into sixth year in Hogwarts), Frank (12; going into second year in Hogwarts) and Alice (11; starting into first year in Hogwarts). Living in Manchester City.**

**George Weasly & Angelina Johnson – married with two children, Fred (15; going into fifth year in Hogwarts) and Amelia (10; very strong magical ability). Living near the Burrow.**

**Draco Malfoy & Astoria Greengrass – married with one son, Scorpius (14; going into fourth year in Hogwarts). Living in Malfoy Manor.**

_Summary: Hermione and Harry heard a prophecy: "The daughter of brains and the son of courage will unite on the fifteenth year". Now, Hermione has divorced her husband and she is moving her two children over to London to fulfill the prophecy. But what happens when things don't go to plan?_

Author's note: I thought of this story when reading Deathly Hallows (for the uumpteenth time). Don't ask me what made me think of it. I've changed the familes and ages of Rose and James to make this story fit together. Some people may find it weird that two cousins are going to get together, but in this story, they're not cousins! I plan on having 10-15 chapters and updating at least every two days. I think I'll have five chapters up by the weekend though because I have no school (thanks to the snow). I'm dropping all of my other stories until this one is finished. So read, review, subscribe and enjoy! 


	2. The Move

Prophecies

**Chapter 1 – The Move **

"Bye Mommy. I'm gonna miss you!"My younger brother ran to our loving mother and gave her a hug. He was crying, which wasn't a first for him.

"I'll miss you too sweetie. But, don't worry; you'll be joining us in England pretty soon."

"Why can't I go _now_?" Mom looked at me, looking for help, so I decided to step in.

"Look, Hugo, you know you can't. You have to wait until summer. And, besides, you and Dad are going to have _so _much fun without two girls hanging around all the time." Hugo looked up at me, eyes still filled with tears. He was only seven, and his Mom and Dad were after getting a divorce and he was being forced to move to England and leave his Dad behind – who wouldn't be upset?

"But _you_ get to go now, Rosie. Why can't you wait with me and Daddy?" I got a look from my dad – one that said "just answer the poor lad but don't break his heart".

"I can't Hugh. If I stay here, then who's going to look after Mom?" He looked at me, finally defeated.

"I guess so. You're the best sister ever, Rosie." And then he gave me a hug. Mum and Dad were talking quietly as they watched the two of us say goodbye. When Hugo let go, I walked over to my father. I gave him a big hug (man, was I gonna miss him).

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Rose. I'll see you at Christmas."

"Come on Rose. We have to get to the airport."

"Ok." I said one last goodbye to Dad and Hugo and then I walked over to Mum.

"Hermione wait!" Mum stopped mid way to the taxi.

"Let Rose stay here. I'll send her over with Hugo. Just let yourelf get settled over there and when you're ready, I'll be ready to let them _both _go."

"Jake, we've been over this. I'm taking Rose with me now so she can help me get the house sorted, then Hugo will come over one week after he's finished school. Don't start this now. We have to go. Bye Jake." I took one last look at the house I had grown up in, and one last look at my father (crying father). I was going to miss New York, with its crazy nightlife, wonderful sights and music. I was going to miss my friends, Jenna, Beth and Dianne. But, I had so many memories to take to London with me.

* * *

On the plane, Mom and I had a girl-to-girl talk. She was telling me about all her old friends we were going to see and all their children that I could become friends with.

"Harry and Ginny have a son going into your year at Hogwarts. His name's James. You'll get to know all the Potter children really well this summer."

"Why?"

"We're staying with them until we have a house of our own."

"You mean, I'm staying with _Harry Potter_?

Mom laughed at my sudden excitement and I felt slightly embarrassed. I must have fallen asleep, because the last thing I remember hearing is "James looks like his father, I'm told."

* * *

When we arrived in Heathrow airport, I saw a red haired man standing beside a black haired man and a little girl clutching a sign that read: "Hermione and Rose Davis – Welcome Home!" I didn't have a clue who these people were, but Mom ran to them and grabbed the two men in a large hug, leaving me to push the trolley full of luggage.

"Nice to see that you remember us, Hermione."

"Of course I remember you! How could I forget that red hair of yours, Ron? Or that nervous look you always have on your face, Harry?"

"Thanks for leaving me with the bags Mom!"

"Sorry dear. Harry, Ron, this is Rose. She's my eldest. My youngest, Hugo, is still in New York with Jacob. Rose, this is Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, my two best friends."

"Pleased to meet you, Rose," Harry said to me. "This is my daughter, Lily. She's seven. Say hi, Lily."

"Hi."

"Enough of this formality stuff! Rose, Hermione, there's a party at the Burrow for you. Everyone's waiting there!" Ron said, much more confident than Harry.

* * *

We got to the so-called Burrow in less than 10 minutes. I had my first experience of side-along apparation, and in three seconds, I was standing outside the weirdest looking house ever.

"Hermione!" A woman with auburn hair ran towards us and hugged Mom. She looked like Lily, except for her eyes, which were blue instead of green. I thought that she must be Ginny Potter, Harry's wife and Ron's sister.

"Ginny! It's so good to see you again! I've missed you!"

I let out a small cough, just to make sure I wasn't forgotten.

"Ginny, may I introduce your god-daughter, Rose Davis."

My god-mother gave me a hug and we were led into the house by Ron, Harry and Mom. When we walked into the kitchen, I saw a huge banner hanging across the ceiling: "The Golden Trio Re-United! Welcome Home Hermione and Rose!" The background was red and the letters were written in gold. There was a picture of a lion in the bottom right hand corner and a pile of silver glitter lay in the left hand side of the banner (this part was obviously an accident made by a child). I saw many red-heads in the room, adults and children. I figured that these were the Weasley clan.

"Rose, this is everyone. Now listen carefully, cause I'm only saying everyone's name once: Mr and Mrs Weasley, Luna, Dean and their child Lorcan, Lavender, Seamus and their child Diarmuid, Neville, Jessica and their army Neil, Dave, Darina, Frank and Alice, George, Angelina and their son Fred and their daughter Amelia, my children Jason, Sierra, Sam and Anna, Harry, Ginny and their children Albus, Lily and... Where's James?" Ron had been telling me everyone's names and the one person I was most looking forward to meet wasn't even here.

"He's gone to the bathroom, dear. Welcome to our home, Rose," Mrs Weasley said ever so kindly.

"Thank you for having me," I said, as polite as I could, because Mom was giving me a look.

"Ah, here he is! The trouble maker! Rose, this is James Sirius Potter. Jamie, this is Rose Davis. She's gonna be staying with us for the summer. And, she's going to be in your year at Hogwarts."

"Hey." He was gorgeous! He had brown hair that stuck up in the back of his head, but in a cute way, and his eyes were the perfect shade of green. He was dressed casually, in tracksuit bottoms, a red t-shirt and a navy and red checked hoody. He seemed polite. Oh how I loved the way he smiled at me. I couldn't believe that this was the boy that Ginny had just called "trouble maker".

"Hi," was all I managed to say after I analyzed his appearance. "I guess we're gonna be pretty good friends by the end of summer." He laughed.

"You'll be sick of me by the end of the week." We laughed some more and didn't notice that Sam had joined us.

"Rose, I would like to introduce you to my best mate and cousin, Sam Weasley. He's going into fourth year too." I said hi to Sam and walked back over to Mom, hoping to get talking to one of the many girls.

"Rosie, go talk to Sierra. She's Ron's daughter. I think you two will be great friends," my mom said when I reached her. I decided to take up her offer and started talking to Sierra.

"So, you're American?"

"Yup. New Yorker."

"Ever been to a Broadway show?"

"About ten of them."

"Bloody hell!"

"Bloody hell?"

"My dad says it all the time. I guess I've just got used to it."

"Is your mom here?"

"She died when I was ten. Dad's been raising us all by himself ever since. He refuses to date anyone. And now, Jason is repeating seventh year because he just doesn't care anymore and Anna is late in showing her magic because she's too scared. Everything has just gone down hill ever since the funeral. Why am I telling you all this? I barely even know you!"

"You're telling me because you can see that I'm a trust-worthy person. What age is Anna?"

"She's nine. But Lily is only seven and _she's_ already making things fly around the room whenever she gets angry. It's just not normal."

"I have a brother. He's seven, just like Lily. His magic hasn't started showing yet, so maybe it's just that Lily is just a bit special. On my ninth birthday, I got so mad at Hugo that my cake flew into his face. That was my first signs of magic, so no, Anna is not delayed. She's just normal."

"Really? I guess your right. I'm just over-reacting. Come and meet the other guys." Sierra grabbed my hand and dragged me into the sitting room where all the children of the Second Wizarding War survivors were playing or talking.

"Darina! Come here!" A teenage girl with long black hair started walking towards us. She was so pretty, I'd never be able to live up to any of these British girls.

"Hey Sierra. What's up?"

"This is Rose Davis. She's staying with the Potters for the summer, and going into fourth year in Hogwarts. How great is that?"

"Brilliant! I'm Darina Longbottom, sixth year. That's my twin brother Dave over there." She pointed to a cute boy sitting beside James and Sam. He looked just like Darina: same hair colour, same eyes, and same dress sense.

"Come on over. We're talking about the Professors at Hogwarts." I walked over to the couch with Darina and Sierra.

"... and then, McGonnagal gave him a detention! It wasn't even his fault!" The boys erupted with laughter and the girls joined in. I was left there, not knowing who McGonnagal was or whose fault it was.

"Who are you talking about?" Dave looked at me as if I had six heads. Thankfully, James saved my embarrassment by answering my question.

"McGonnagal is Headmistress of Hogwarts. Sam and I played a prank on Filch one day and Scorpius Malfoy was around at the time. So when McGonnagal got to the scene of the crime, we ran for it and let Malfoy take the blame. It was the best thing ever! He got six weeks of detention with McGonnagal herself!" Everyone started laughing again and I joined in. It sounded hilarious!

"So, what other Professors should I look out for?" I felt like I needed to know, seen as I was starting there in two months.

"Well, there's Filch the caretaker, he hates every single student to walk through the school corridors. It's lucky that he's a Squib, otherwise he'd have us all hexed. Hagrid is the best Professor ever! He teaches Care of Magical Creatures, and although it is the most boring and dangerous subject, Hagrid is just such a nice guy! Being a half-giant doesn't stop him from acting like a teddy bear!" The Hogwartians burst out into new laughter about their friend Hagrid. Half-giant? Boy was I scared! "Slughorn is an old geezer. He teaches Potions – the most boring subject ever at Hogwarts. Dad teaches Defence against the Dark Arts, Mum teaches Charms, Neville teaches Herbology and Uncle Ron guest speaks for Defence sometimes. Luna teaches Divination. You'll find out the rest when you get there. So, what school did you attend in America?"

"Salem Academy. It isn't a boarding school; I went home every weekend and Wednesday evening. I liked it, but I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like to be in school all the time! Don't you ever miss your families?"

"Well, seeing as half of our parents teach there, it's just like living at home. We all meet up here for Christmas and any other special occasion. It's pretty fun!"

"And now, you're going to be part of it too!" Sierra squealed. Everyone started talking about everything that happened at Hogwarts the past year. I decided to listen but I kept getting lost in the conversation.

"Do you want a tour?" I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder and a whisper in my ear. I turned around and saw Sam standing behind me.

"Please." He took my hand in his and led me away from the group. I looked behind me and saw James giving his cousin a look of jealousy. A small smile crept across my face. We walked up the stairs to the first floor and Sam showed me all the different rooms.

"That's Aunt Ginny's room on the right. Grandma and Grandpa's room is straight ahead. There's also a small bathroom on the left." As we continued up the staircase, he started talking about his family. When he got to the subject of his mother, we were standing outside Ron's old bedroom.

"Dad says that he proposed to her in there. He hasn't been able to go inside since she died." I could tell that he was comfortable talking about it, unlike Sierra.

"Do you mind me asking, how did she die?"

"She was an auror. She was on a mission in New Zealand when we got the news. She was murdered by an out of control were wolf. When he transformed back into a human, he didn't remember anything about it. The Ministry let him off because they discovered that he was only bitten that night. He was given a warning and the recipe for Wolfsbane Potion. Dad still thinks he should have gotten some time in Azkaban or at least a Hearing." He paused, and I knew that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. I decided to tell him about my family problem, hopefully it would make him feel better.

"My mom and dad got a divorce last week. She found out that he was cheating on her with his secretary. She asked him to file for a divorce immediately, and then she called him "typical American". I felt hurt, because I'm an American. I soon got over that though when she told me and Hugh that we would be living in England. Dad made Mom leave Hugo with him until the summer. I was meant to stay until summer too, but I wanted to go with Mom and help her get sorted out with the house and everything. It's going to be hard not seeing Dad, but I'll learn to live with it."

"Bloody hell. You've got a lot going on in your life!"

We were walking back downstairs and we heard Ron say "Bloody hell!"

"What is up with you Weasleys and you're 'Bloody hell'?" He laughed at my question and we walked into the kitchen to find Ron and Neville trying to put out a fire.

"Can your child not control her magic?"

"Of course she can't, Ronald, because in case you haven't noticed, she's SEVEN!" I saw Lily sitting on Harry's lap, bawling crying.

"Maybe, we should go back into the sitting room," Sam whispered.

"I'll be there in a minute. I just want to talk to Mom." I walked over to my mother, who was laughing with Jessica.

"Hi Mom."

"Hi sweetie. This is Jessica."

"Hi Jessica."

"Hello Rose. Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah. Sam showed me around the house so I know where everything is now. Everyone seems so nice."

"I'm glad you're getting on with everyone darling. How's James?" I was surprised that she singled out James when she saw me walking in with Sam.

"He's fine. I haven't really got a chance to talk to him. He's been talking to his friends and Sam saw that I was getting lost in the conversation so he rescued me by bringing me on a tour."

"That's nice dear, but don't you think you should talk to James? I mean, he's going to be in your year in Hogwarts."

"So's Sam! And trust me; Sam needs a friend more than James does." I stormed away from my awe-struck mother and into the sitting room. I sat down on the ground beside Sam and listened to Sierra tell another story from Hogwarts. I never laughed so much in my life.

"James! Albus! Rose! We're leaving!" I got up from the ground at the exact same time as James. I said bye to my new friends and gave Sam a second hug. I walked out to the kitchen with James and Albus. I walked around the room and did another round of good byes. We walked outside and Mom told me to hold onto James' hand. I did so, but reluctantly. He grabbed Ginny's hand and Harry spun on the spot and I had my second experience of side-along apparition.

* * *

As I opened my eyes, I saw that we were standing in a small village.

"Uh, where are we?" I asked James.

"Godric's Hallow. I guess we're walking to the house." He pointed to a hill and I saw that he was actually pointing to the house that was situated on it. It took ten minutes to get to the top, but I talked to James, which made the time fly. Ginny opened the door and we stepped inside. As I looked around the front hall, I thought to myself "I think I'm going to like it here!"


	3. It's What Friends Are For

Chapter 2 – It's what friend's are for

One week ago, I was in New York; now, I was lying on a camp bed in Lily Potter's bedroom in Godric's Hallow. I couldn't believe one week had passed since I met everyone at the Burrow. I knew them all so well that I felt like part of the over-grown family.

"Rose! You have a letter from America!" I ran downstairs, hoping the letter was from Dad or Hugh. When I got to the kitchen Ginny handed me the letter.

"Thanks." I opened the letter and read it – it wasn't a letter from Hugh or Dad.

_Dear Miss Davis,_

_It has come to our attention that you have moved country. We understand that it would be impossible for you to commute from England to New York, so we have sent a letter of recommendation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your summer results will be sent along in two weeks. We will all miss our favourite student here at Salem Academy. _

_Wishing you all the best in the future,_

_Professor M. Cattermole (Headmistress of Salem Academy for Witches)_

"Morning darling."

"Morning Mom. Look at this letter." I handed her the letter from Professor Cattermole. She read it and looked at me. "Mom, what if Hogwarts doesn't accept exchange students?"

"Don't worry Rosie. Professor McGonnagal will be a fool to not take in a student like you." She gave me a hug of reassurance. As we broke apart, I saw that James had come into the kitchen, hair messy and pyjamas still on.

"Morning Sunshine!" I waltzed over to him and gave him a big smile.

"Go away." He wasn't a morning person.

"So what do you want to do today Sunshine?" I took advantage of his grumpiness to cheer myself up. Mom and Ginny looked at each other and started smiling. I kept my big smile on my face, just to annoy James.

"I said go away Rose."

"Now, Sunshine, that's not very friendly. How's about we go out into that wonderful garden of yours and play a bit of Quidditch?"

"Rose, not now!"

"You don't want to play Quidditch? Ladies and Gentlemen, James Potter does not want to play Quidditch, I repeat, James Potter does not want to play Quidditch!" As I was broadcasting this to the kitchen (Ginny, Mom and Lily), Harry walked in.

"James Potter, I am very ashamed."

"I just said not now! You can't say anything around here anymore!"

"I'm sorry Sunshine. I promise to shut my American gob that I inherited from my father and be nice to you for a change." I laughed with the adults and I saw a smile creep across James' face.

"What's so funny?" Albus had just walked into the kitchen, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Oh nothing Albie!" I walked over to Harry's double and ruffled his hair.

"Breakfast is served." We all took our respective places at the round table, me between Mom and James, Mom beside Harry, who was beside Ginny, Albus between Lily and James and Lily beside Ginny. We ate our breakfast with laughter and chat.

"So when do Hogwarts letters usually arrive?"

"Two weeks before we go back. Sometimes its three weeks, all depending on the owl that delivers it," James answered.

"So, what are you kids up to for the day?" Harry asked us.

"We might go to Uncle Ron's to fetch Sam and play a bit of Quidditch."

"Since when are we doing that?" I asked.

"It was your idea!" He laughed.

"I'll go, but only if Sierra comes too." I gave him my best puppy dog eyes.

"Well then Lorcan has to come as well so it can be an even number!" Albus piped up.

"No, because you're not coming!"

"James, be nice."

"Mum!"

"James."

"Dad!"

"Haha!"

"Rose!"

"Mom!"

"I wanna go!"

"Albus!"

"James!"

"Dad!"

"Lily!" Everyone laughed at Lily's cuteness.

"Mum, tell him he can't go."

"Come on James. Let him come, Lorcan too. It'll be fun!"

"Ok." I knew he wouldn't be able to resist those puppy dog eyes of mine.

* * *

After breakfast, we went back upstairs to get dressed. It was a hot day, so I decided to wear my denim shorts, pink vest top and white short-sleeved cardigan. I combed my brown hair back into a pony-tail. I wore white tennis shoes and I must say, I did look pretty good. Just a little foundation and lip-gloss and I was all set to go. I walked downstairs to meet James when Mom bumped into me.

"It's not that warm out there you know."

"Yes, it is Mom. And we'll be playing Quidditch; I can't play Quidditch in jeans!"

"You can and you will." She pointed to the stairs, indicating me to go back up. I groaned but went back up to the room. I slipped on a pair of washy blue skinny jeans and ran back down to the kitchen.

"Happy?" I said as I passed Mom. I saw James and Albus waiting at the back door for me.

"What took you so long?" James asked me. He was wearing navy tracksuit bottoms and a green t-shirt that matched his eyes.

"Excuse me for taking my time in getting ready!"

"Can we just go. Please!" Albus said impatiently.

"Sure kiddo." James punched his brother's arm playfully. We walked to the Weasley house, which was fifteen minutes away. It was a nice walk. Albus and James fought all the way there, but this kept me amused. When we got to the Ranch (so called because of the horse ranch in the back), Sierra and Sam came running out to us. This meant we didn't have to go inside. Sierra was wearing a white skirt over black three-quarter length leggings and a red tank top. She wasn't carrying a broom, like her brother. I wondered if she knew we were playing Quidditch with the boys.

"Uh, Sierra, you do know that we're playing Quidditch, right?"

"The only time Sierra and Quidditch are in the same sentence is 'Sierra doesn't play Quidditch'," laughed Sam.

"You mean, you don't play?"

"Of course I don't! It's a _boy's_ game! _You _don't play, do you?" She raised her eye-brow and looked at me questionably.

"Well, yeah, I do. Not really well, but I play for fun."

"I guess I better not come then if I'm just going to be watching." She stormed back into the house in a huff.

"You could have told me that she doesn't play Quidditch." The three boys were doubled over with laughter.

"That was _priceless_! Sierra Weasley finally getting turned down!"

* * *

As we walked back to Potter Manor, the boys were still laughing.

"Come on guys, it wasn't that funny!"

"You obviously don't know my sister all that well then," Sam said through laughter. We reached the top of the hill and went into the house, awaiting Lorcan's arrival by Floo.

"Rose, come here for a minute." Sam motioned me over to the back door. He walked out, and I followed. He walked over to the big tree, and I followed.

"Yeah?" He took my hand in his.

"You're great, you know that right?" He tightened his grip.

"Am I?" He laughed at my stupidity.

"Of course. You talked to Sierra and made her remember that although everyone is still grieving, we're getting over it. Then, you spoke to me. You told me about your dad, and how everything was changing for you and your brother. You made me feel _normal_ again. James hasn't been able to do that yet. You're just... great!" He gave me a hug.

"It's what friends are for," I whispered into his ear.


	4. Family is Important

Chapter 3 – Family is Important

"Mommy!" Hugo came running out of the grate. Mom wouldn't let him go on a plane by himself, so she made him floo from Dad's house to London. It was great to see him again. His hair was longer than it was one month ago. It was now just below his ear lobes.

"I think someone needs a haircut!"I laughed as he let go of Mom and gave me a hug.

"I've missed you Rosie."

"Missed you too buddy." We walked to the cab that Mom had hired out and drove to our house. We moved out of Potter Manor a week ago, but we still lived in Godric's Hallow: five minutes away from the Potter's and five minutes away from the Weasley's. It was a bungalow, perfect for a family of three. Everything was so quiet without the Potters, which is why I spent most of my time up at the Manor or down at the Ranch. Everyone was meeting at the Burrow that night, to welcome Hugo into the 'family'. It had been a month since we were all together in the small kitchen. As I walked into my room (yellow walls, double bed, books galore!) I noticed a photograph lying on my bed. I left it there before we went to fetch Hugo. I picked it up and looked at it: a baby boy with brown hair and a one year old girl with bushy hair were laughing and playing in a room that I recognised to be the front room in the Manor. I smiled as I realised that the boy was James and the girl was me. I ran back down to Mom.

"I'm just going into the village. Be back in a few minutes."

"Do you have money?"

"Ya," I shouted as I walked out the door. I went into the corner shop (it has everything!) and spotted a silver frame. Just what I was looking for. I grabbed it, handed it to the nice lady behind the counter and paid her. I walked back out of the shop, jogged back to the house and ran back into my room, without a word to Mom or Hugo. I placed the photograph in the frame and on my bedside locker. I looked at it, trying to remember that day, but I couldn't. I smiled to myself, wondering if James knew that we met before all this.

"Rose, we're leaving in an hour. Dress casual but smart." I went to my closet and scanned through it. _What to wear, what to wear,_ I asked myself. I decided on black leggings and a long white top. I accesorised with a black belt and black pumps. I left my hair natural (with a clip to pin back my _awful _fringe) and applied a bit of foundation and lipgloss. I grabbed my black cardigan and took a look in the mirror.

"You look nice Rosie." I looked at the door of my bedroom to find Hugo standing there, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.

"Thanks Hugh." I smiled at him. He looked so grown up in black. "Come here kiddo!" He ran over to me and gave me a hug.

"I've missed you so much Rose. Dad did too." He looked up at me, tears starting to form in his eyes. "Things aren't going to be the same anymore, are they?" I couldn't lie to him.

"No Hugo, they're not. But, me and you, we'll get through this mess together. Everyone is so nice here. There's a little girl your age that lives on the hill, her name's Lily. You'll meet her tonight. So, just trust me." I gave my little brother another hug as Mom called us into the kitchen.

"Ready to go?" Mom was in periwinkle blue top and skinny jeans. She looked so young with her hair straightened.

"Mom, how the hell did you straighten your bush?" Hugo laughed, but Mom just stared at me.

"We're leaving," was all she said. We walked to the Ranch to floo to the Burrow. One by one, we stepped into the fire place, shouted "the Burrow" loud and clear, and landed in the small kitchen of Molly Weasley's.

"Hello Rose, dear. Be careful not to get dust on the mat like a good girl."

"Yes Mrs Weasley." I walked over to the elderly witch, who was busy preparing dinner for the night. "So, how are you Mrs Weasley?"

"I'm very well dear. How's the new house shaping up?"

"It's still a mess, but it's coming along." Mom was next to arrive, although she refused to talk to me after my comment about her hair. I decided to make it up to her before everyone arrived.

"Mom, I'm so sorry about what I said. Sure, look at my hair, it's a bush too!" I wasn't lying; it is just like Mom's, but a bit tamer.

"Just don't say anything like that again. I know you're going through a lot, with the divorce and moving here away from your dad, but I still raised a polite little girl and I want you to stay that way."

"Ok." I gave her a hug and she patted my back. When I looked up at her, I noticed that she was crying. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just so happy to be back here." Hugo came through the grate. "And I get to share it with my two favourite people in the world!" She grabbed Hugo and me into a family hug, just as Sam stepped onto the carpet. When we were finally released, I noticed that everyone had arrived, and it was time to introduce Hugo to our new family.

"May I have your attention please?" Everyone in the room went quiet. "This is my little brother Hugo Davis. He is seven. He arrived from New York today and is the reason we have all gathered in this house. Ok, Hugo, there's a lot of people here. I'll tell you who everyone is, and then you can 'mingle' with them. Luna, Dean and Lorcan Thomas, Neville, Jesicca, Neil, Frank, Dave, Alice and Darina Longbottom, Angelina, George, Fred and Amelia Weasley, Ron, Sierra, Sam, Jason and Anna Weasley, Lavender, Seamus and Diarmuid Finnigan, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Ginny, Harry, Lily, Albus and James Potter, and that's just about everyone!" I looked around at everyone. They were all smiling at Hugo, ready to welcome him into the family. Mrs Weasley was the first to reach him.

"Why don't you bring him into the sitting room, dear, with all the other children?"

"Good idea, Mrs Weasley." I brought Hugo into the sitting room. I introduced him properly to Lily and they went off to play with Anna. I walked over to the other teenagers and sat beside Darina. Sierra turned her back to me, because of the whole me liking Quidditch scenario, but Darina welcomed me into the group.

"The letters should be arriving soon enough," Dave was saying.

"Hopefully tomorrow. I can't wait any longer!"

"Wanna meet up in Diagon Alley?" There was a murmur of agreement, but I just stayed quiet.

"Rose? Do you wanna meet up?" James asked me.

"Sure." I had no idea where Diagon Alley was.

"Cool. Let's meet up outside Sugarplums at, say half three?" Another murmur of agreement.

"Rose?"

"Sure." I had no idea what Sugarplums was.

"Great!" All the teens started into an animated discussion about the shops in Diagon Alley. James caught my eye and motioned me out of the room. I followed him into the hall and up the twisted staircase. We went into a bedroom on the first floor.

"This was my mum's room," James said when we stepped inside. "She told me that this was the room she came to when she first met Dad, and the room she came to after he proposed." He turned to look at me. "Do you remember this day?" He took something out of his pocket and handed it to me – it was the photograph of me and James when we were babies.

"No," I answered truthfully, not taking my eyes off the laughing children in the photograph.

"I don't either, but I asked my dad about it when he gave it to me." I looked up, wanting to hear more. "Apparently, your parents didn't move over to America until you were one. We saw eachother everyday and played together. Of course, we were only babies and didn't know anything. But then your dad got mad at your mum for forcing the two of us together and that's when you moved to New York." He took a step behind me and looked over my shoulder at the photo. "You were really cute when you were a baby." I looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back.

"We better get back downstairs," I said, breaking the silence that had formed.

"Yeah, or else Sam will think something is going on," he joked. As we walked down the stairs and into the living room, I saw my mom smiling to no one in particular, but she was looking at me and James.

* * *

The night went by without any disturbances from my mom, but not without another secret walk with James. We went into the garden after dinner, and then up the stairs to look at the picture and try to remember the day it was taken. I went home after midnight, with a tired Hugo and a very drunk mom. I couldn't wait until my trip to Diagon Alley!


	5. Diagon Alley and the Scorpion

Chapter 4 – Diagon Alley and the Scorpion

_Dear Miss Davis,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted as an exchange studentat Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. _

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Filius Flitwick_

_Deputy Headmaster_

I couldn't believe my luck – I was going to Hogwarts! Only two weeks to wait; only two weeks to get every book and supply that was on the list!

"Rose! There's another letter here for you!" I ran into the kitchen, grabbed the letter and ran back into my room; I always read my letters in private, and my mom knew that.

_Rose,_

_Did you get your letter? I hope you did, because if I have to go to Hogwarts without my new best friend, I will die! I hope you're ready for your first trip to Diagon Alley, because we fourth years need a _lot _of books! Mum is hoping to go on Saturday and she was wondering if you wanted to join us? We could meet up with the gang at lunch time after all the shopping. Call up to the manor later and we'll play Quidditch or something. _

_See you later. _

_James_

"Mom!" I ran into the sitting room where my mom was sitting with Hugo watching television. "When are we going to Diagon Alley?"

"I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it. Maybe next week."

"Can we go on Saturday with the Potters?"

"I'll have to talk to Ginny about it, but I think we could."

"Great! Can I go up to the Manor?"

"What is your obsession with the Potters?" She looked at me with a small smile on her face.

"I'm really good friends with James!"

"_Just _friends?"

"Of course! Can I _please _go to the Manor?"

"Yes, on one condition: you be back here my dinner time."

"Thank you so much Mom!" I gave her a big hug and ran to my room to get ready. I picked out my skinny jeans, a long sleeved jade green top and black cardigan. I let my hair fall loosely below my shoulders and I applied foundation and lipgloss. _"What is your obsession with the Potters?" _My mom's comment kept coming into my head as I took one step closer in getting ready. _"Just friends?" "Of course!" _Was I lying to Mom? Was I lying to myself? "Don't be silly. We're just friends. Maybe even _best_ friends at this stage," I said to myself as I grabbed my bag and headed out the back door and up to the Manor.

* * *

"Hermione, how nice to see you again!"

"You as well Hannah. You're looking great, I must say."

"You too! I heard you were back in the country. Who's this young lady? And this fine little boy?"

"These would be my children, Rose and Hugo. Say hi to Hannah kids."

I couldn't say anything; I was too mesmerised by the little pub we had stumbled upon.

"Hello! My name's Hugo, I'm seven," Hugo said with a toothy grin.

"Very nice to meet you Hugo." Mom looked at me, telling me to be polite through her eyes.

"Hello Hannah. I'm Rose Davis." I shook the woman's hand and smiled at her.

"Are you just passing through or would you like a drink?" Hannah asked Mom.

"I'll have two butter beers and a fire whiskey please Hannah. We're waiting for the Potters." Hannah gave a nod of understanding and went off to get our order.

"A Firewhiskey Mom? Really?" I said as we took our place at a booth near the door.

"Yes, really. I'm going to need all the energy I can get today if you're leaving me at lunchtime to go off with James and Sam." I was about to answer her back when Hannah arrived down with the drinks.

"Two butterbeers and one fire whiskey."

"Thanks Hannah. How much?" Mom was reaching into her bag for her purse.

"No, Hermione. Treat on me, seeing as I couldn't make your welcome home party last month." She walked back to the bar and left us to talk amongst ourselves.

"I'm not _leaving_ you as you so put it. I'm helping you until I get hungry and go off with my friends for some food!" Just as Mom was ready to fight back, the Potter family walked into the small pub.

"Lily!" Hugo shouted to get their attention.

"Hi Hugo! What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you!" I listened to my younger brother talk to Lily, and didn't even notice that James had sat down beside me.

"Boo!" He placed both hands on my shoulders and I jumped.

"Jesus Christ James! Don't do that!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist!" He smiled at me and I knew I couldn't stay mad at him.

"Come on kids! Let's get going! The mothers are going to stay here while Ron and I take you into the village," Harry proclaimed. I hadn't noticed the Weasleys had also arrived. I looked around the table: Albus was standing beside Anna, Sierra was sitting beside Ginny (not wanting to be disturbed by "a girl who loves Quidditch"), Jason and Sam were near me and James, and Hugo was still chatting animatedly to Lily.

"Let's get moving troops! Jason, you take the younger ones to Sugarplums for a while. Sierra and Sam, you go to Flourish and Blotts and order all the books. Harry will meet you there after we visit Gringott's. James, you take Rose for a trip around Diagon Alley and she can collect all the small supplies such as her cauldron and you can visit the apothecary. To your stations!" Jason took Anna by the hand and called Lily and Hugo over to him.

"Rose, do you have your money?" Mom said to me.

"Yes Mom. Love you!" I said, quickly as I was being pulled by the hand (Hugo?) into the alley behind the pub. I looked at the person holding my hand; it wasn't Hugo, it was James! My hand felt all tingly (is that a word?) and empty when he let go.

"Three up ... Two across ..." Ron muttered to himself. He tapped the brick three times (the third up and second across) and the brick disappeared to reveal an archway large enough to fit all nine of us, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight. **(*Author's note – I took this quote from Philosopher's Stone i.e. I do NOT own HP*) **As I looked around the village in awe, I felt a hand slip into my own. I knew it was James, because a warm and safe feeling swept through my body.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," he whispered in my ear. I looked directly into his green eyes and smiled. He smiled back at me, but this smile was different, because now it meant something to me. We all went our different directions: Jason, Anna, Lily and Hugo went to the bottom of the street and turned left and out of sight; Sierra and Sam gathered all our book supplies lists and walked into the fifth shop on the right hand side of the street; Ron and Harry walked towards a snowy white building that towered over the neighbouring shops; James dragged me through the crowd of people until we were facing a shop that had a sign above that read "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions".

"You're gonna need a uniform when you get to Hogwarts, and there's no better place than Madam Malkin's. Come on, I need a new pair of robes too!" We walked into the small shop, where there was a pale faced boy standing on the podium that was situated in the centre of the room. The seamstress was fixing the hem on his robes.

"Got yourself a girlfriend, _Potter_?"

"Come on Rose. We'll come back later," James was muttering into my ear.

"Is the son of the Chosen One afraid?"

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"Malfoy? This is Scorpius Malfoy? The boy you and Sam were telling me about? The one with the snake of a father?" I blurted out, forgetting Scorpius was there.

"Don't you _dare _talk about my father like that!" He looked at me and took in my appearance. "I know what you are. Bushy hair, beaver teeth, frumpy clothes..." He looked at James' hand intertwined with mine. "Friends of a Potter. You must be a Granger, daughter of a filthy _Mudblood_!"

"My mother never tolerated that language in her shop, so neither will I! If you can't be civil, then leave!" the seamstress shouted. We stayed quiet after that, but inside I was cursing the foul evil cockroach. When he was leaving, he glared at me and James.

"See you at Hogwarts then," he said before he walked out the door. I wished that I would never see him at Hogwarts, but of course wishes never come true.


	6. The Truth is Out

**This is a short chapter. I just want to say before we start that although I am getting loads of notifications for this story (which I am very grateful for) I would _love _if you could just take a minute to review. Thanks :)

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Chapter 5 – The Truth is Out

Parents and children around me were shouting, laughing and talking. Cases were being wheeled across the station and a family of red heads were making their way towards us. We were standing between platforms 9 and 10 on September the first at half past ten in the morning.

"Good morning Uncle Ron!" Lily shouted.

"It may be morning, but it's not good," Ron grunted back.

"He's never been a morning person," Ginny said, "even when we were kids."

"Ginny, do me a favor and just shut up."

"My charming older brother everyone!"

"Look, as much as I love to see you two get on eachother's nerves, could we please just get a move on?" Harry said to the two Weasley siblings.

"How exactly are we getting to the platform?" Hugo asked curiously.

"Well, it says in _Hogwarts a History – The revised edition _that you walk, or run, through the wall between platforms nine and ten," I whispered so only Hugo and Mom could hear.

"Oh," Hugo replied, though he looked scared and worried.

"Jason, you go first," Ron said to the eldest Weasley boy (who never speaks to me!). I watched as Jason walked casually up to the wall and disappeared! I blinked twice, just to make sure that it had happened.

"Rose, would you like to go next?" Harry said to me gently. I shook my head; I was still too nervous.

"I'll go then, shall I?" Sierra said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. She disappeared through the walls as well, and was soon followed by Sam, Albus, Ron (holding Anna's hand), Ginny (holding Lily's hand), Harry and Mom (holding Hugo's hand).

"You ready?" James said to me. I shook my head again.

"No, but I suppose I have to get over it."

"We'll go together. On three. One..." I held onto my trolley. "Two..." I got ready to run. "Three!" We ran towards the wall and I closed my eyes, waiting for the crash that never came. "You can open your eyes now." I did as I was told, and I found myself facing a large red steam engine labeled "Hogwarts Express".

"Wow," I whispered as I looked around the platform. I saw some familiar faces as I took everything in: Lorcan and Dean Thomas, all the Longbottoms, George and Fred (the second) and – unfortunately – Scorpius Malfoy!

"As if my morning wasn't bad enough," I heard Ron say to Harry.

"Oi Granger! I could smell you when you weren't even in the country, you filthy Mudblood! Why'd you come back? Husband finally realise what _scum_ he had married?" We all turned our heads to look at Mr Malfoy.

"Ignore him Hermione, he's not worth it," Ginny said to Mom.

"Don't worry Gin, I know him too well not to sink to his level."

"I say you go over there Hermione and give him a blast from the past. Remember third year?" Ron said, with a grin on his face as he remembered the day.

"Go for it Hermione! We could all do with a laugh!" Harry said, backing Ron up.

"There is no way I am reliving that, as much as I enjoyed it." Mom started smiling as well.

"What are you talking about?" Albus asked, saying what we were all thinking.

"Just the time that Hermione was a rebelious little b-''

"Ronald! They've heard _enough_!" Mom said, as if she was scolding a bold child. We all laughed at the two of them.

"Onto the train now, before all the good seats are taken," Ginny said, trying to distract us.

"Hey Weasel! Where's the wife? Is she with your brother Fred?"

"That's it Hermione. If you don't go over and punch that slimeball's face, then I will!"

"Ron, calm down. You don't want to start a scene!"

"Come on kids, onto the train!"

"Hermione, he just referred to Rebecca's and Fred's deaths right in front of me and my children! Why should I calm down?"

"_The train will be leaving in fifteen minutes." _

"Get on the train kids."

"Ron, Hermione's right. You need to calm down."

"Oh, so you're taking her side in this are you Harry?"

"Dad, Uncle Harry's right. You need to calm down."

"Stay out of this Sierra!"

"Dad, just chill. You're scaring everyone, especially Anna. Just step away from the group. Come with me." Jason led a shaking Ron away from the group.

"Now I wish we got on the train when we were told," James whispered to me.

"I really wish you didn't have to see that Rose. Dad goes crazy whenever Mum is mentioned," Sam said to me as we all walked onto the train.

"It's ok. I just hope he's all right." We found an empty carriage and left our trunks in it. We went back out onto the platform, hoping to find Ron in a better mood.

"Ron! Don't say things like that to your son! Of course he'll find someone! Everyone has a soul mate out there!"

"Oh just shut up Hermione! Just because _you _know that _your _child has a soul mate does _not _mean that everyone else has one!"

"Ron, calm down. You're causing a scene. Let's talk about this somewhere else," Harry said reassuringly.

"Rosie!" Hugo came running over to me. He looked scared. I gave him a hug. Was he crying?

"It's ok Hugo. Ron's just a bit angry at the moment. He'll calm down once he's had a firewhiskey or something," I said, trying to cheer him up.

"Why do you have to leave me Rosie? Why can't you just stay here and go to Hogwarts when I am?"

"I have to go now Hugo. It's all organised. I'll be back for Christmas. Look after yourself." I kissed the top of his head and he gave me a final hug. I went over to Mom and said goodbye to her and Ginny. Harry was still trying to get Ron to calm down. I waved over to them; I knew I would see Harry in school tomorrow. I got on the train and waited for James and Sam to return. They came on two minutes after me and sat down in the carriage in a very bad mood.

"_The train will be leaving in one minute." _We all stuck our heads out the window and heard Ron shout:

"_The daughter of brains_ is Rose and _the son of courage_ is James! Just because my son is going to be miserable for the rest of his life, you don't have to keep reminding me that your two _perfect little children_ are soul mates!" I slumped back into my seat and the train started moving. Soul mates? Me and James? Really?

"Bloody hell," Sam whispered.


	7. Jealousy of Sam

Chapter six – Jealousy of Sam

The train ride was awkward. _James and me are soul mates? _There must be some mistake. Sam kept trying to break the tension by starting up a conversation about something totally random.

"So which house do you want to be in Rose?"

"Hmm...?" I said, not listening to the question. I was too busy thinking of what Ron had said. Maybe he said it because he was so angry. Maybe it was his idea of a joke. Maybe it was the truth.

"I said which house do you want to be in?" Sam asked again.

"Oh. Gryffindor, like my mom. But Ravenclaw sounds ok too." I tuned my self out again. I picked up a book (_Hogwarts, a History_) and started reading. Although reading usually helps take my mind off things, I couldn't stop seeing words like "soul" or "love". I even saw "Potter" mentioned somewhere. I slammed the book closed and the two boys looked up at me. "I can't stand this anymore! I'm going for a walk." I got up from my chair and walked out of the carriage.

"Rose! Wait up!" I turned around and saw Sam following me.

"What do you want Sam?"

"What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong with me? Did you not _hear _what your dad broadcasted to the platform just before we left?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought you and James liked eachother anyways so it wouldn't make much of a difference," Sam mumbled.

"Much of a difference? Sam, James and I are just best friends. I have never, and will never, have romantic feelings towards him."

"But, what about the whole soul mate thing?"

"I can find my own soul mate. I don't need to be told who he is." At that moment, I was cut off from talking, because Sam had pressed his lips to mine and kissed me. It was awkward; he held onto my shoulders and my arms just dropped by my sides. Everyone was watching us – the red headed Weasley (who was popular among the girls) was kissing the new girl (with bushy hair and beaver teeth) in the middle of the train. When he stepped back for air, he looked at me and said simply:

"I just wanted to see if _I_ am your soulmate." He grinned at me, but I didn't grin back. People in the nearby carriages were whispering.

"I'm sorry Sam, but no. This isn't right." I walked away from him and tried to find Darina's carriage. I found the sixth year Gryffindors, and Sierra, in a carriage near the middle of the train. I looked in and saw Darina. I knocked on the door and slid it open. "Sorry, but Darina, do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure. About which boy?" I looked at her, stunned, but figured that of course she would know it was about a boy.

"Sam Weasley." Sierra sat up at the mention of her brother's name. I looked at Darina. "Can we talk about this in private please?" Darina nodded and stood up. Sierra stood up too. "I just want to talk to Darina if you don't mind Sierra."

"If it's about _my _brother then I'm going to talk about it too!" I didn't want to start a fight with the abnoxious Weasley, so I let her come too. We found an empty compartment not too far away from where Sam and James were sitting.

"What happened?" Darina asked me, very concerned.

"He kissed me," I blurted out. This caused Sierra to laugh and Darina to give her a look.

"Why?"

"I guess he was jealous of James."

"But you and James aren't together."

"Yes, but Ron said that we were soul mates." I explained the story of the platform to Darina. As I told it, I felt like I was reliving it. "And then he said 'I just wanted to see if _I _am your soulmate'."

"Well," Sierra said, "that does sound like the cheesy sort of thing my brother would do. I know that he likes you, but if James admits that _he _likes you, or vice versa, then I know he will lay off. Obviously hearing that you have no romantic feelings towards James, he took the oppurtunity to kiss you there and then. Right now, he is probably asking James if _he_ has any romantic feelings towards _you_ and if it's a no, then I'm afraid you will be cursed by my brother following you around until you finally give in to him and marry him!" Sierra smirked at the thought of Sam annoying me.

"Has he ever done something like this before?"

"Yeah, to Darina!" I laughed with the fifth year Weasley as Darina gave us a dirty look.

"Haha, very funny Sierra. Don't worry Rose; he'll get over it as soon as you get a boyfriend."

"Thanks Darina. And, thanks Sierra," I muttered to the two British girls. As I walked back to Sam and James, I braced myself for the awkward silence I would receive from both of them.

"... but Rose doesn't like me!" I stopped myself from opening the carriage door when I heard my name.

"So? You have to tell her how you feel!" I listened closely, trying to hear who was saying what.

"But it will ruin our friendship!"

"If you don't tell her then I will!" I decided to walk in on them.

"Tell me what?" I looked from Sam to James, avoiding their eyes. Both boys were speechless. After a minute of silence, Sam spoke up.

"Uh, I'm just going to go for a walk." He got up and as he passed James he whispered "good luck mate." He winked at me when he pushed past me to get out of the carriage. I rolled my eyes and looked at James suspiciuosly.

"Are you just going to sit there like a mime or are you going to tell me what's up?"

"Are you just going to stand there looking at me or are you going to sit down?" He smiled at me and moved over closer to the window, making room for me. I sat down, not beside him but opposite him. I leaned forward.

"What were you and Sam talking about and why was my name mentioned?" I could tell that James felt awkward talking about this.

"Ahm, you see Rose, the thing is, ahm, Sam was just telling me about the _thing_ that happened and I, ahm, kind've told him to back off. So now he thinks that I like you. Isn't that funny?" he laughed, but I knew it was fake.

"Is that all James? Are you sure there's nothing else you need to tell me?" He just looked at me.

"Nothing," he mumbled.

"You know we need to talk about what Ron said sooner or later."

"Yeah, about _that_. I don't want to talk about it. I think we should forget about it and just be friends. Unless you want to talk about it?" James eyed me suspiciously.

"No! I was just wondering if _you_ wanted to talk about it. Forgive and forget my dad used to say." The train ride passed without any more awkward moments. Sam returned after an hour of him leaving and when a prefect came around to tell us to get changed, I stepped out of the carriage and left the boys to get ready (I got changed into my robes before I came back after talking to Sierra and Darina). When Sam and James were ready, I stepped back inside and we spent the last ten minutes practicing spells on one another.

* * *

As the train slowly came to a stop, I started to get butterflies in my stomach – I was going to see Hogwarts castle for the first time! The first years got the boats to the castle, but every other student got horse-less carriages. I, on the other hand, got an escort by Luna. As the divination teacher, I asked her about soul mates.

"Luna, do you believe that there's someone out there for everyone?"

"Yes, Rose, I do. I and Dean never spoke when we were at Hogwarts. He used to think, like everyone else, that I was a freak; I used to think he was just the quiet Gryffindor that was one year ahead of me. We both joined DA and then during the war, we were both captured and brought to Malfoy Manor and then rescued and brought to Shell Cottage. We got to know eachother very well during that time and evetually fell in love. I believe we were always meant for eachother, we just didn't know it at the time."

"Do you believe in prophecies predicting soul mates?"

"Is this about you and James Potter?" I nodded. "I do believe in prophecies predicting soul mates. I also believe that you and James are meant for eachother. And, I also believe that we have now reached our destination. Welcome to Hogwarts Rose!" I saw the castle, I saw the boats with the first years, I saw the carriages with the other students – and I saw James.


	8. Life at Hogwarts Begins

Chapter seven – Life at Hogwarts Begins

"Before the sorting begins, I would like to welcome Rose Monika Davis an exchange student from America. She is going into fourth year, but still needs to be sorted, so this year we will be starting the sorting ceremony with Miss Davis. So, Professor Flitwick, would you please start the Sorting?" I felt myself going red with embarrassment after the Headmistress' welcome speech.

"Davis, Rose," little Flitwick piped up. I nervously walked away from the crowd of chattering first years and sat on the stool in front of the school. I took the old wizard's hat in my trembling hands and placed it on my head until it covered my eyes.

"_Ah! Hermione Granger's daughter, I'm prosuming? You sure have her brains all right, and her bravery. The question is where to put you? Not Slytherin or Hufflepuff. Maybe Ravenclaw – they could do with a student like you. I can see in your mind though that there's a certain boy in Gryffindor that you don't want to be apart from. You are the most difficult person to sort since Harry Potter. Well, if you're sure that you want to be in Gryffindor so that you can be with the boy, then I better do as I'm told._ GRYFFINDOR!" Relief flowed through me when I heard the hat shout the last word to my fellow classmates. I heard shouts of happiness coming from the table to my left. I looked over and my eyes locked with James' – sapphire blue meets emerald green (A/N: I know this quote is used way to many times in HP shipping fics, but I really wanted to use it cause its so effective). I practically ran over to sit beside my best friend.

"Well done Rose," Sam patted my back.

"Congrats Rose!" Darina and Dave said simultaneously.

"Welcome to the club!" Fred shouted across the table. The sorting continued for the first years. By the end of it, we had eleven new Gryffindors, all ready to prove that they were brave enough to be placed in the house of lions.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I shall save the speeches for later, but now I think it's time we all filled up on the glorious foods sent from the kitchens. Enjoy!" As McGonnagal sat down, the golden platters filled up with food and drinks flowed into the silver goblets. I had never seen a feast like this. At Salem, we had a normal dinner like a normal school that we each went up and collected from the lunch elves. I was in so much awe with all the different foods (roast beef, chicken, pork chops, lamb, sausages, bacon, steak, boiled potatoes, chips, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables, gravy, ketchup, mint humbugs, you name it) that I didn't realise my mouth had dropped open slightly.

"Are you just going to sit there and gawped at the food or are you going to eat?" James asked with a grin. I started piling food onto my plate and poured myself a glass of pumpkin juice. When all main courses were cleared, many different desserts replaced them. I had a slice of hot fudge pudding and it was _to die for_! I couldn't believe how good the food tasted; Hugo was going to _**love **_it here! After the desserts were cleared, McGonnagal once again stood from her chair. The Great Hall was silent for the first time all evening.

"'To our new students welcome. To our old students welcome back': the words of Albus Dumbledore. The best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts, everyone said. He died during the Second Wizarding War, as many others did. This year, we celebrate the war's 25th anniversary. To remember those who we have lost, and to welcome those who we have welcomed to our side, we will celebrate by having the Forget-Me-Not Ball on the eve of Christmas this year. More details of the Ball will be posted nearer the time. New students must be told that the Dark Forest near the Game Keeper's hut is strictly forbidden and I remind older students of the same. There is to be no dueling in the corridors during classes. If anyone would like to join their House Quidditch team, please notify your Quidditch captain: for Hufflepuff, Aliza McMillan; for Ravenclaw, Katie Chang; for Slytherin, Scorpius Malfoy; and for Gryffindor, James Potter!" Applause erupted from all four tables – obviously the captain's only found out that they were captains now, or else James would have told me.

"Why didn't you _say _anything James?" Sam asked his best friend with a huge smile on his face.

"I didn't know! I thought Jason would get it!" He turned to the eldest Weasley. "Why didn't you get it? You were captain last year, and the best thing to happen to Gryffindor since Oliver Wood!"

"I was offered, but I turned it down. I think I need to focus on my studies this year, or else I'll be repeating again. I suggested to McGonnagal that she give you the slot. Surprise!"

"Congratulations James! You must be the youngest captain Hogwarts has ever seen!" another Gryffindor said.

"Along with Malfoy," James said with a tone of disgust in his voice.

"Yeah, but you'll be better. I've seen you play," I said with a smile on my face.

"Thanks," he returned the smile and squeezed my hand that lay on the table. We looked into eachother's eyes.

"Oi! Get a room you two!" I let go of James' hand with a jump. Sam let out a muffled laugh.

"Very mature Sam." James glared at his best friend, who suddenly stopped laughing. "Come on; let's get to the common room." As I looked around the Great Hall, I realised that the other students were starting to head out of the room, following prefects and forming groups. "Coming Rose?" James was looking at me, as I watched the students head out the door.

"Yeah," I said as I got up from my seat. I walked with James and Sam up seven flights of twisting stairs with some that move and others with a missing step.

"Leo Fortis," Sam said to the portrait of a Fat Lady in a Pink Dress. The portrait opened to reveal a passage way. We crawled through, one by one, until we came face to face with a large circular room. There were plump red armchairs in different areas of the room. A large fire filled the room with an orange glow.

"Your dorm is up the stairs on the right. Ask one of the other students where the fourth year dorm is," James said to me as I looked at the only notice on the bulliten board ("_Have you got your wand? If not, write to __Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C."_).

"Thanks James. Night Sam," I said as I passed the ginger Weasley to go up the stairs. "Night James. See ya in the morning." I walked passed him, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I don't know what came over me," he said as he quickly pulled away, blushing. I didn't care; I liked the tingly feeling I got in the pit of my stomach when he touched me.

"It's ok. Night James," I said again. I kissed him softly on the cheek and went up to my dorm.

* * *

I found it easily enough, even though a second year put me in the wrong direction. I found my trunk at the bottom of a bed that I prosumed was mine. There were three other girls in the room when I went inside: Samantha Roberts, Kate Evans and Rebecca McLaggen. They looked at me, introduced themselves (Rebecca starting them off) and I soon got to know what type of people they were, and what secrets they covered up: Samantha was quiet and stuck to herself mostly, but was big time crushing on the most popular boy in school; Kate was a brainiac who hated anyone who didn't share her love of books; Rebecca was the bubbly, outgoing girl and was secretly smart but wouldn't tell anyone. I quickly said goodnight to the girls and we all went to bed. They were probably all falling asleep thinking about me and my secrets. Luckily for me, I always keep my secrets to myself. I closed my eyes, but couldn't stop thinking about James, my so-called soul mate, my best friend, my Quidditch captain, my reason that I chose Gryffindor!


	9. Detention with Potter

Chapter eight – Detention with Potter!

* * *

Two months later, I was starting to get used to life at Hogwarts. Samantha had finally opened up to me and told me who she was crushing on, and Rebecca had become a very close friend. Kate spoke to me, but only because I liked books. The professors were all nice to me, and so were the other students. Sam had stopped flirting with me at every opportunity he got, and he was now one of my best friends. And then there was James. None of us had still gotten over the whole "soul-mate" thing, but we were coping well. People had started calling me, Sam and James "The New Golden Trio" (A/N: one Weasley, one Potter and one Granger). I liked being part of the special group. The only thing that bothered my mind was the letter I had gotten from Mom the first day of term.

_Rose,_

_I need you to understand that what Ron said yesterday was all completely true. Yes, you and James are soul-mates, but that doesn't mean you have to be together. Don't wait for him; go out with some other boys. I want you to be happy Rosie. I know how hard this past year has been for you, but now you can relax. You are away from all of that and you have started a new life at Hogwarts. I tried to push you and James together when you were younger, and again when we moved over here. I regret that now. You need to find true love yourself. Please forgive me? Ron is very caught up in what he said. He has written a letter to Jason to apologise. Maybe you can forgive him too? I hope you can. _

_Hugo says hi and he is already missing you. I love you darling, and I hope you do the right thing. _

_Love, Mom x_

I read that letter every night before going to sleep. I didn't tell James about the letter or the soul mate thing. I tried to forget about being his soul mate and took my mother's advice and flirted with other boys. I helped them with homework during the late evenings in the common room, under the protective eyes of James. As the mild autumn months turned into the crisp winter, more announcements about the Forget-Me-Not Ball were put up once every two weeks, reminding students that the train will be leaving after the Ball at midnight, Madam Malkin's Hogsmeade branch was having a sale for students and most importantly, dance lessons would be taking place every Wednesday evening in the Great Hall! We had four lessons already but no one was getting near perfect enough for the opening dance. I had been partnered up with Sam, a Hufflepuff boy named Evan, Matthew Corner in Ravenclaw and, unfortunately, Scorpius from Slytherin. How I detested that boy! When I was dancing with him, he didn't pay attention to me and kept trying to chat up the other girls whenever they were in close proximity. He wasn't even good at it! But, of course, he had a date to the Ball, unlike me. I had been asked by five guys already, but I didn't feel a connection with them. Rebecca was going with Fred Weasley (the second), Samantha was still waiting on her crush to ask her, Sam was too chicken to ask anyone and even Kate had a date with a Ravenclaw! James had no one and would only go with the hottest girl that asked _him_! Can you believe that? I wanted to know why he just didn't ask someone. I found my answer one day in Defence.

"Because that just seems like I'm desperate for a date! Now stop going on about it before you get us into trouble!" We were practicing non verbal spells on each other, but Professor Potter didn't like it when we spoke during class, even practical classes such as this one. I was annoyed with how James was treating the situation. If he wanted to go with a certain girl then he should just ask her. That was the next thing I said to him.

"I said drop it Rosie!" Harry was on his way over to us to see how we were getting on.

"Well guys, how is everything?" He was smiling at us hoping that things were perfect. James went first and he nearly got it (my wand jerked and he told us that he was trying to disarm me). Harry was very pleased with his son and was hoping for the same thing from me. I ended up saying the spell quietly under my breath, but Harry caught me. "And for homework Miss Davis," he was walking to the top of the class now, "practice!"

* * *

"I told you to shut up during class!" James said to me during dinner.

"In your own words James," I stared at him, "drop it!" Sam, Rebecca and Samantha roared with laughter. James avoided my gaze for the rest of the evening as we did our homework in the common room. It was midnight by the time I remembered that I had to practice non-verbal spells for Defence. I was too tired and I saw that James and I were the only ones left in the common room; everyone else was gone to bed.

"Well James, that's me done. I'm off to bed now. Goodnight," I said as I gathered up my things and walked towards the girls' staircase.

"You didn't do your Defence homework," was all he said.

"Well James, they're called non-verbal spells. So obviously, you didn't hear me practice them, but I did! So, drop it and say goodnight," I smiled at him. He laughed. Things were back to normal!

* * *

"OK Rose, Let's see how you got on last night with your homework," Harry said to me the next day in class. I was so nervous because, of course, I didn't practice.

"Sure thing Professor," I said, trying to sound confident. I raised my wand, pointed it at James and thought _"Expelliarmus" _in my head. Nothing happened at first so I whispered the incantation out of the corner of my mouth, but once again I was caught.

"Detention Miss Davis. 8 o'clock tonight. My office," he said as he walked to the top of the room. Man, I was gonna be in so much trouble with Mom.

* * *

At ten to eight that night, I left James and Sam in the common room and headed towards Harry's office on the fifth floor where I would serve my time for "not listening to James!" I got there five minutes early, hoping that my punctuality would soften the Professor up a bit. I knocked on the door and stepped inside silently.

"Evening Miss Davis. Please take a seat," he motioned for me to take the seat across from him. I sat down nervously. "This isn't a punishment Rose; it's a chance for us to talk. I'm sorry I had to embarrass you in class like that. Tell me, how are you getting on at Hogwarts?"

"Well, I'm having a great time really. It's starting to feel like a home away from home to be honest. But something has been bothering me since the Sorting. The hat said that I was the most difficult person to sort since, well, you. What does that mean?"

"I wasn't expecting that question Rose, but I will answer to put your mind at rest. During my Sorting, there was a few seconds when the hat considered putting me into Slytherin. It also wanted to keep me away from Gryffindor by putting me into Hufflepuff, but it couldn't see that I would do well there and it knew I wasn't clever enough to be in Ravenclaw. In the end, I asked to be in Gryffindor, and it took my choice into consideration and put me in Gryffindor. I was one difficult student alright!" He laughed as if he was remembering an old friend. "Is there anything else bothering you Rose?"

"I got a letter from my Mom the day after the Sorting. It was about the train station and Ron. She told me that everything about me and James is true. Can you confirm that?" He ruffled his hair like James did when he was nervous.

"Yeah, I suppose I can. When Hermione and I were fifteen, we heard our Divination teacher, Professor Trelawny, make a real prophecy. _"__The daughter of brains and the son of courage will unite on the fifteenth year." _We didn't realise at the time it meant my son and her daughter because we were busy with our lives in fifth year. But after Voldemort was defeated and everything was normal, Hermione cornered me and made me recite the prophecy I knew I'd never forget. She told me how she had been researching soul mates and had come to the conclusion that the prophecy was about me and her. When James was born, Hermione was pregnant. Two months after James, you came along and Hermione and I were forcing you together to prove the prophecy right, or wrong. Your dad was disgusted with our childish behavior and brought you and Hermione to America and away from here. We never found out if the prophecy was true or not because you weren't here. When Hermione brought you back, it was our chance. Seeing you and James together over the past few months has been amazing. I really believe that the prophecy is true and will come into action on your fifteenth birthday." I took in everything he said. So it was true but James would only realise it on my fifteenth birthday.

"Are you going to tell James any of this?"

"No. I think I'll let him figure it out for himself. Well, Rose, I think it's time you went back to the Tower, unless there's anything else you want to ask me?" I thought for a moment.

"No, I think I'm ok. Thanks Harry. Goodnight."

"Night Rose."

* * *

It took me forever to get to sleep that night. I thought about my Mom's letter; I thought about Harry's story; I thought about James. My birthday was two months away, right after New Year. Would James realise before then that we're meant to be together? Or will he pick up some random chick and go off with her? Yeah, it took me forever to get to sleep after detention with Potter.


	10. Surprises Come Easily At Hogwarts

Chapter nine – Surprises Come Easily At Hogwarts

* * *

ROSE POV:

"Attention everyone! Before you head off to your classes for the day, I want to make a small announcement! All classes will end after lunch on Friday as you will all need to prepare for the guests arriving for the Forget-Me-Not Ball! Off to class now, more notices about Friday will be posted in your Common Rooms this evening." I made my way to class with Rebecca after Professor McGonnagal's speech about the Ball. Everyone was all buzzed up about the event that would take place at the weekend. Heck, even _I _was excited for it!

"So Rosie, have you got your dress robes yet?"

"Of course I do Bec's; the Ball is on in like less than a week away!" This was the truth. I had bought my dress during the Hogsmeade weekend two weeks ago. "You obviously have your's." She laughed.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you're always prepared and you've been going on about it since September!" We were both laughing as we walked into the Charms room. We sat in our usual places at the back beside James and Sam.

"What's so funny?" Sam asked us with a confused look on his face. I looked at Rebecca and we burst out laughing again.

"Girls," James whispered to Sam. Everyone was soon silenced when they saw that we had a sub today (Ginny was sick). James nudged me because he too recognised the back of the new Professor.

"Good morning class, my name is Miss Granger. I am only filling in for Professor Potter so _please _do not call me Professor! I know some of you but there are others that I don't, so today will just be an introductory day for me. Everyone stand up please and I will go around the class and you all state your names and sit down. So, up you get!" There was the sound of chairs screeching as everyone hurried to stand up. We had Charms with Ravenclaw so Mom started with them first as they were sitting on the right side of the room. She stopped in front of Melissa Chang and stared at her.

"Uh, Melissa Chang," Melissa whispered nervously.

"Are you related to Cho Chang by any chance?"

"Yeah, she's my mum."

"I was in school with her; she was a year ahead of me though. You may sit down now," Mom said smiling at Melissa, who soon relaxed. She walked through the rest of the Ravenclaw group like this, pausing at each of them to say that she knows at least one member of their family. She came over to us Gryffindors. Kate introduced herself with pride.

"Kate Evans, perhaps you've heard of my father, Mark Evans? He's a muggle but he lived on the same street as Harry Potter when he was a child. I'm a half blood!" She puffed out her chest proudly with a huge grin on her face.

"No, I'm afraid I don't know your father, but I will ask Professor Potter about him at lunch time. You can sit down if you like." Kate slumped down onto her chair with a look of disgust on her face.

"Samantha Roberts," Samantha said.

"Any relations I might know?"

"I don't think so. My family are Muggles," she said shamelessly.

"There's nothing wrong with being a Muggle-born. Infact, I'm Muggle-born and I had the best time of my life here at Hogwarts! You can sit down Samantha." She smiled at her encouragingly and moved to the back row. _Crap!_

"And who do we have here?" she said to Rebecca.

"Rebecca McLaggen, daughter of Cormac and Gretchen McLaggen, pure-blood but not proud of it, best friend of these weirdos beside me and enemy of Parkinson in Slytherin," she said in one breath. James and Sam started laughing silently beside me.

"Thank you for that Rebecca. I happen to know Cormac from my sixth year, even if he was a seventh year. How is he?"

"He's good, he's _still _reserve Keeper for Puddlemere United but he's happy." She smiled sweetly at Mom.

"That's good; tell him I was asking for him."

"He's coming to the Ball so you can tell him yourself!"

"Excellent, sit down Rebecca, thank you." James and Sam couldn't hold it in any longer; they burst out laughing which made me laugh, which made Rebecca laugh, which made the class laugh, which made Mom laugh, which made her the most loved teacher the class ever had! Sam introduced himself as James and James introduced himself as Albus. Of course Mom knew who they really were but let them carry on with their silly game. She turned to me, the last of the Gryffindors.

"Name?" she asked me as she asked everyone else. I was shocked; was she going to pretend not to know me?

"Rose Davis," I said. Two can play at this game.

"Hello Miss Davis, you can sit down now please." I sat down silently and James and Sam looked at me. "_What?_" I mouthed to them. They both shook their heads and we turned our attention to the top of the room again. As the class ended, all anyone could talk about was _Miss Granger_, the best Charms teacher ever! I suppose I agreed with the class on this one; Mom was a pretty good teacher! But what I didn't understand was why she pretended not to know me. _Was she embarrassed to let everyone know that her marriage had failed and she was stuck with her two children? _Or was it to save me the embarrassment of having my Mom sub-in for Professor Potter? It was all so confusing.

"Rosie, you coming for lunch?" Rebecca was calling me from the doorway; I couldn't stop staring at my mother.

"You go on Bec's; I have to talk to Miss Granger for a moment," I replied. I waited until Rebecca left before starting on Mom. "Well wasn't that an interesting class?" She jumped, obviously not realising I was there. She turned around with that stupid smile still on her face.

"It was amazing Rose! It just feels so right being back here and teaching. Sure it's only until after the Christmas holidays, but I'm hoping to be a permanent sub for Hogwarts. Isn't that great Rosie?" I couldn't help but smile at her excitement.

"That's brilliant Mo- I mean, _Miss Granger_," I said.

"I'm sorry Rose, for ignoring the fact that you're my daughter during that class, but I was just trying to treat you like any other student, you know to make you feel normal." She smiled and continued. "I see you've made some friends. Tell me; is that Rebecca McLaggen always like that?" I laughed.

"Sometimes, but inside she's so sweet and she's really talented and smart, everyone loves her! Where's Hugh?"

"He's with Ron, Lily and Anna. They're, uh, gone to collect your father." She paused, waiting for a reaction from me. But somehow, I couldn't feel that excitement that was meant to run through me at the mention of my dad's visit.

"Oh," was all I could say. We were silent for minute.

"So, how about we head down for lunch?" she asked me. All I could do was nod.

* * *

"James," I whispered as I passed him on my way to sit down, "I need to talk to you," he looked at me questionably when I sat down beside him, "after lunch." Sam and Rebecca didn't notice the secret glances that James sent me or they didn't dwell on the fact that James and I left the table without them after fifteen minutes of eating. We walked out to the lake and sat down on the grass.

"So, you wanted to talk to me about something alone?" He grinned mischievously. I hit his arm. "Ouch, that hurt Rose!" He rubbed his arm.

"Stop being such a wuss, James! I really need to talk to you." He stared at me for a minute.

"Should I be scared?"

"No James. It's _me _who should be scared." I took a breath. "My dad's coming to England today."

"So? Isn't that a good thing Rose? You haven't seen him since the end of May and I'm sure Hugo will be delighted to have his dad back for the Christmas. Why aren't you excited?"

"Because James, he's going to freak out when he finds out that I'm friends with you. That's the whole reason we left England in the first place – so that me and you would never get close." I looked at his bright green eyes. _Did they always have that tinge of brown in them?_ I shook my head of those thoughts. If we were meant to be together, I would know in less than a month. But what if James doesn't realise it in time? What if he goes off with some blonde, blue-eyed witch at the Ball and I never see him again? What if I grow old and live without my best friend? What if I grow old and live without _anyone_? I let a tear fall from my eyes, but wiped it away hoping that James didn't notice.

"Rose, are you crying?" Yeah, he noticed.

"What? Oh no, just a bit of dust in my eye. Come on, we better go back inside; lunch will be over in a few minutes and we have Divination next." I stood up and held my hand out for James. He took it and I pulled him up. I went to remove my hand from his but he held onto it. We walked back up to the castle like that, ignoring the looks we were getting from the other students.

"Rose," James said as we stopped outside the Gryffindor Common Room to collect our books, "do you have a date to the Ball yet?" I looked at him. _Oh my God! _James practically asked me to the Ball! But I already had a date. How do you turn your best friend down gently?

"Yes James, I do. Robert Davies asked me before Charms today. Do you?" I felt so bad when I saw his eyes fill with sadness.

"Uh, yeah I do. Come on, let's get our books. _Angeli," _James said to the Fat Lady, who opened up at the sound of the new password. James let go of my hand and walked into the Common Room without looking back at me. He grabbed his back and walked straight past me. I was speechless. _What was his problem_? I went over to the table where I had left my stuff, shoved it all into my rucksack and made my way to Divination – alone. When I arrived, I saw James sitting on a cushion beside the window. He was staring out onto the Quidditch pitch with a look of disappointment in his eyes. I went over to sit beside him.

"Hey," I said as I pulled the spare cushion from under the table, "can we talk?"

"We already had a talk," he answered without looking away from the window.

"Please James; it's about something else, something more important."

"What do you want Rose?" I sighed.

"Look, whatever I've done to make you mad at me, I'm sorry. I just don't understand how you went from being my best friend to someone who hates me in ten seconds flat! It just doesn't make sense. Will you please look at me James?" People were starting to look at us now. Slowly, James turned his face away from the view and looked at me. His beautiful eyes were filled with fresh tears.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand to avoid embarrassment.

"Tell you what James?" I asked very confused.

"Tell me about your date with Davies! I thought we were best friends!"

"We are James; infact we're more than best friends. I only said yes to Robert this morning and I was still trying to get my head around everything and I was so excited. I was planning on telling you at lunch," I lowered my voice to a whisper so only James could hear, "but then I found out that my dad was coming and all thoughts of the Ball went out of my head."

"But that's not such a big deal Rose! So what if your dad is coming back from America? So what if he disinherits you for being friends with me? So what if you have a date to the Ball and I don't?" I stared at him. _Did he really just say all of that_?

"You told me you _did _have a date James," I said. He was about to answer when Professor Lovegood-Thomas skipped into the room.

"Good afternoon class, I'm sure you all had a lovely lunch and are ready to start crystal gazing today." There was a murmur of excitement from the class. We weren't meant to be starting crystal gazing until next term. Suddenly, Sam and Rebecca burst through the door.

"Sorry we're late Professor," Sam panted.

"We were trying to find those two over there," Rebecca said pointing to me and James.

"That's quite alright dears, just next time try and be on time," Luna said in her dreamy voice. Sam and Rebecca sat at the table beside ours. James continued to stare out the window for the class. When the bell finally rang after two hours of crystal gazing and no homework, we were free for the day. I made my way down to dinner with Rebecca.

* * *

"Why are you and James acting so awkward around eachother?" she asked me when we sat down in the Great Hall. James had just passed us and sat at the opposite end of the long table with Sam following looking confused.

"He asked me to the Ball," I replied gloomily.

"What?" Rebecca squealed with delight.

"And I said no."

"Why?"

"Robert Davies asked me first."

"When?"

"This morning, now will you please be quiet Bec's; people are starting to stare." It was true; people from the Ravenclaw table (which was the closest to us) were looking at Rebecca as if she was crazy (which she was).

"So _that's_ why he's mad at you, because you're going to the Ball with Robbie?"

"It's _Robert_ but yes that's why James is mad at me." I looked down at James, who quickly turned away from me. "He is so annoying," I mumbled.

"Who is? And why?" Rebecca asked me, taking me out of my day dreaming.

"You know James lied to me?"

* * *

**JAMES POV:**

**Why did I ask Rose to go to the Ball with me? I just completely embarrassed myself in front of my best friend – **_**by asking her to the Ball**_**! Man I was so stupid.**

"**Hey James, what are you looking at?" Sam turned in his seat and followed my gaze. "Or should I say **_**who **_**are you looking at?" Sam said with a smirk on his face. "Look mate, you should just talk to her, she's probably forgotten all about it already." I snorted. Yeah right, as if that was ever going to happen. I saw her look down to where we were sitting and I quickly turned back to Sam. **

"**How about **_**we **_**forget about **_**Rose**_**? So have you got a date yet?" Sam suddenly went red with embarrassment.**

"**Yeah, I do," he said very quietly so no one else could hear. I couldn't help but smile at my cousin. He never had the courage to talk to girls before. **

"**Who did ya ask?" **

"**Saoirse (A/N/: Pronounced "Seersha") Abbot," he answered.**

"**In Hufflepuff?" Now it was my turn to smirk.**

"**Yeah, go on and rub it in; Sam Weasley is taking Saoirse Abbot to the biggest event of the year! But she's really nice and she's smart and she's got a friend that's also looking for a date," he said winking. "You know her, Roisin (A/N: Pronounced "Rosheen") O'Malley. Apparently her and Saoirse go way back; knew eachother since they were three. She's a really nice girl. Maybe you should ask her." I didn't answer. "Just think about it, get over Rose. I'm going up to the Common Room, get started on the essay Slughorn set us. You coming with?" **

"**You go on. I'm just gonna finish up here." I looked up to where Rose and Rebecca were sitting. Except now it was just where Rose was sitting. She looked upset. I was about to get up and go over to her but Davies got there before me. I cursed under my breath. I heard a giggle behind me. I turned around to see a girl with long red hair sitting at the Hufflepuff table. Roisin O'Malley. Maybe I should just ask her to the Ball and get it over with. How hard could it be to be turned down twice in one day? I found my Gryffindor courage and stood up and tapped her shoulder. "Uh, Roisin, can I talk to you for a minute please?" Saoirse and their other friend, Kiara Smith, starting smiling.**

"**All right James," she replied with her Irish accent coming through. We walked between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor table. When we passed Rose, I avoided her eyes and kept walking. We stopped just outside the Great Hall. "So, there was something you wanted to talk to me about?"**

"**Uh yeah, have you got a date to the Ball yet?" She shook her head with a small smile on her face. "Do you, uh, want to go with me?" **

"**I would like that," she replied. I couldn't help but smile like a Cheshire Cat when she accepted.**

"**Are you serious?" **

"**Yeah James, it could be fun." **

"**That's great! I'll see you tomorrow so," I said.**

"**Sure. Bye James." She was still smiling.**

"**Bye Roisin." And so was I. I watched her walk back into the Great Hall with a slight skip in her walk. She turned around and waved at me. I waved back. Maybe things were going to go my way after all! Then I saw a flash of brown run past me. **_**Shit**_**!**

* * *

ROSE POV:

I watched as James walked past me with Roisin O'Malley. I felt alone when he didn't look at me. Robert had come over to talk to me about the Ball but saw that I wasn't in the mood so he said that he's catch up with me tomorrow before Charms. Two minutes later, Roisin came back into the Hall and sat beside Saoirse Bones and Kiara Smith at the Hufflepuff table.

"He asked me to the Ball!" she practically shouted. Saoirse and Kiara starting squealing with delight (they were worse than Rebecca at times). I dropped my fork and ran out into the Entrance Hall. I passed James but didn't stop. I didn't go up the stairs to the Common Room; I didn't even go to the library; I just kept running until I was outside beside the lake. And crying. I fell in a heap onto the grass beside me and looked into the distance. Hogwarts looked like something out of fairytale with the ice and snow. Somewhere across the country, my dad was with Hugo just like old times; Jenna, Beth and Diane were probably holding try outs for my replacemnt. I really missed New York and the good times I had there. I missed the people that I loved and who would never be replaced in my heart.

"Rose!" I turned around to see James running towards me, with Rebecca and Sam behind him. "We've been looking everywhere for you!" James said when they reached me. "I _really _need to talk to you, right now!" It was more of a demand than a statement. I looked at Rebecca, who gave me a nod of encouragement, and to Sam, who gave me a thumbs up.

"Ok James, but you better make it quick, I have places to be and things to do," I said. Maybe I was acting like a bit of a bitch to him, but he deserved it! He stepped closer to me.

"I'm really sorry about everything; about not appreciating your worries about your dad, about ignoring you when you told me about Davies, about lying to you about having a date, and about not being there for you when you needed me. You're my best friend Rose, nothing will ever change that! No one will ever get in the way of our friendship. We'll be together through thick and thin for the rest of our lives. The four of us," he gestured for Rebecca and Sam to join us, "will be the new generation of Marauders!" He grinned proudly and the other two started to get excited. When I didn't react, James looked at me as if I was an alien. "Oh come _on _Rose! You have to have heard of the Marauders – Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail, The Marauder's Map, the pranks, the Marauder's Handbook?"

"No James, I have never heard of the Marauders because, in case you don't remember, I came from a school in America where pranking was banned."

"How did you ever _live _in that school?" Sam asked. I just shrugged.

"So, who are these Prongs and Padfoot people?" Rebecca, Sam and James just looked at eachother with smiles on their faces.

"I love explaining who the Marauders were! You better sit down for this Rose, it's a long story." James cleared his throat and started. "In 1971, four young boys came to Hogwarts, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter. They became best friends and throughout their years at Hogwarts, the played many pranks on all students and one student in particular, Severus Snape. Although no other student knew, Lupin was a werewolf and once a month he would secretly travel to the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade through a secret passage in the Whomping Willow. When his three best friends found out about his secret, they each became unregistered animagi in their fifth year– Pettigrew as a rat, Sirius as a dog and James as a stag. From then on, they each became known by their nicknames, Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew, Remus "Moony" Lupin, Sirius "Padfoot" Black and James "Prongs" Potter – The Marauders. They created the Marauder's Map sometime between their fifth and seventh year, and I happen to have that map hidden in my trunk." He grinned at the expression on Sam's face. "Unfortunately they all died in the First and Second Wizarding Wars. So there you have it Rose, the story of the Marauders. Any questions?" he said finishing up.

"Can we go inside now? Only my ass is freezing out here," I said shivering. James just chuckled and the other two smiled. We walked back up to the castle and got started on our homework, with laughter and chat. It was after midnight when we decided to head up to bed, being the last of the Gryffindors in the Common Room. I said goodnight to James with a hug and a hand squeeze, giving him an unsaid apology. When I got up to the Dorm, Kate and Samantha were asleep, so Rebecca and I got into our pyjamas in silence and fell asleep instantly. It had been a long day!

* * *

Friday arrived quickly and the atmosphere throughout the castle was electric. Everyone was excited to see who would come to the Ball, especially the three Heroes – Ron, Mum and Harry. I was more excited to see Hugo again! I had missed his eigth birthday and I was going to make it up to him when he came later on. Class before lunch was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Professor Longbottom had us re-potting Mandrakes, which the others had learnt in second year. Of course I had read about them but I had never seen one up close and I was shocked when I saw the face of an ugly screaming baby come out of the pot instead of roots. I was at a potting station with James and Roisin (Sam had dragged Rebecca off to a station with Saoirse). I have to say she was a really nice girl and she got the best friend approval, but there was something about her that made me think she was only with James for popularity. I never said this to James in fear of ruining our friendship again, but I shared it with Rebecca who instantly agreed with me and thought the same with Saoirse and Sam. Lunch time came and everyone, mostly girls, rushed to the Great Hall to grab a small bit to eat and run back up to the Dormitories to get ready for the guests arrivals.

Four o'clock came and we were all called outside to welcome the guests that wold be staying with us for the weekend. Whispers started spreading through the crowd.

"I heard that Professor Potter left earlier so he can arrive on a _dragon_!"

"I heard that the Order of the Phoenix is coming and they are going to rein-act a wand battle from the War!"

"I heard that students from Salem Academy..." But I never heard what the student heard about Salem because at that moment a large group of people flew across the lake. There must have been at least two hundred of them, all landing gracefully on the snowy grass with Harry, Ron and Mom leading them. There were people of all ages – between the ages of five and one-hundred-and-five! I recognised a few people from the photographs I had seen and those I knew personally. But there was one person that caught my eye: my dad. _What was he doing here_?

"Welcome everyone," Professor McGonnagal said to the crowd of people. "I have assigned the seventh year prefects and other N.E.W.T students to groups of thirty each. They will show you where you will be staying for the weekend. Professor Potter, Mr Weasley, you may go find the other Professor Potter. She's still in bed with a nasty case of flu. Girls from Salem, you will all be placed in the dorms with the Hogwarts girls. Durmstrang boys, you will also be given a bed in the boys' dorms. The Feast will start in an hour. This will give you enough time to get settled in. The Head Boy and Head Girl will organise the groups for escorting into the castle." About a hundred people scuttled forward to where Aliza MacMillan (Hufflepuff) and Martin Jordan (Gryffindor) were standing with the other seventh years, prefects or not. "Professors and family of professors, you may head up to your quarters. Miss Granger, Mr Davis and Mr Davis," Hugo smiled at being addressed like this, "there is a room set up for you on the third floor beside the library. Miss Granger, I daresay you know where that is?" Mom smiled at McGonnagal's comment and followed the Professors into the castle with Hugo and Dad. "Scorpius Malfoy, Marcia Zabini, Prisha Patil, Robert Davies, Roisin O'Malley, Ian MacMillan, James Potter and Rose Davis, will you all please wait here. The rest of you go to your Common Rooms and get back into your school robes for the Feast." The other students hurried back inside. "Mr Malfoy and Miss Zabini, will you take," she scanned the group of foreign students, "those ten Durmstrang boys and those five Salem girls back to the Slytherin Common Room please?" Malfoy and Zabini brought the unfortunate students to the dungeons. When the four Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw representatives had taken their students to their Common Rooms, only three girls and three boys were left. "Mr Potter, Miss Davis, these students will be your responsibility for the weekend. You will bring them to breakfast tomorrow morning, you will give them a tour of the castle, you will accompany them to anywhere they wish to go and you will walk down to the Great Hall with them this evening. I trust you both to fulfill those duties. Now, up to Gryffindor tower with you all. I shall see the eight of you in less than an hour." And with that, she was gone. I turned back to the group of students and heard one of the girls scream with joy.

"Rose!" I recognised the three girls at once – Jenna, Beth and Diane, my best friends!

"Oh my God, why are you here?" I said running over to them and pulling the three of them in for a group hug.

"We were chosen by Professor Cattermole to represent America in the biggest event for every wizard world wide," Beth explained. I heard James cough behind us and quickly remembered we had somewhere to go.

"Oh, Beth, Jenna, Diane, this is my good friend James Potter," I said pulling him forward.

"_Good _friend? Aw come on Rosie, you just told me four days ago I was your _best _friend!" James said raising his eyebrows and causing the three girls to giggle and the three Durmstrang boys to groan and roll their eyes. "Follow us to the best place Hogwarts has to offer." As we walked up to the Common Room, we found out that the Durmstrang boys (Mikal, Joshua and Nathel) were a rowdy bunch but great fun to be around. We reached the Portrait of the Fat Lady, gave her the password and walked inside to the Gryffindor Common Room. Over on the notice board, there was a new notice: _"The students from Salem Acadamy and Durmstrang Institute will stay in the fourth year dormitories. Any problems, report to your Head of House." _I told the others about the notice and I brought Jenna, Diane and Beth up to the fourth year girl's dorm with Rebecca. Once we were up there, the Salem girls started asking questions.

"Is he always that cute?"

"Does he always flirt?"

"Does he like you?"

"Do you like _him_?"

"Are you going to the Ball with him?"

"Does he have a date to the Ball?"

"Guys," I shouted just as Diane opened her mouth to ask another question. Rebecca was on her bed laughing at my three friends. "Ok, for your first question, he may seem cute to you, but that's just the charm. It wears off after a while. Yes, he will flirt with you at every opportunity he gets. I don't think he likes me because he has a girlfriend. No I don't like him because I have an _almost _boyfriend. Don't interrupt me Beth! I'm not going to the Ball with him, he's going to with Roisin O'Malley from Hufflepuff. Any more questions or can we just catch up?" I said smiling.

"Who's this soon to be boyfriend of your's?" Beth asked. I blushed and looked towards Rebecca, who answered for me.

"His name's Robbie Davies, he's in Ravenclaw so he's pretty smart. He asked Rose to the Ball last week and since then, they've been inseprable, unless James is around. I don't think Robbie likes him very much and vice versa." When the three girls just stared at her, she said: "I'm Rebecca McLaggen by the way, Rosie's best girlfriend here at Hogwarts. You can call me Rebecca, Becca or Bec's, just don't call me Becky!" Beth started laughing and I knew instantly that Rebecca and Beth were going to become great friends. This was a relief for me because Beth was my best friend at Salem and now Rebecca was my best friend at Hogwarts.

"So, have you girls got your dress robes yet?" Jenna asked. We talked about the Ball until it was time to go down for the feast. That night, when we were all asleep, I had a dream. James was in it.

* * *

**JAMES POV:**

**At three o'clock on Saturday, all of the girls disappeared, claiming they had to "get ready for the Ball" that was on in **_**five hours**_**! They had loads of time, but girls will be girls. I stayed outside with Sam, Albus, Lorcan, Dave, Jason, Fred, Frank, Mikal, Joshua and Nathel for a massive snow ball fight before **_**we**_** had to get ready. I will never understand why we had to wear stupid dress robes for the Ball. Sure, for girls it probably meant a lot, but to guys we would rather wear our school uniform! At half six, Albus finally said: "I think it's time we went in and got ready." We walked up to our dorms as slow as possible but when we got up there we were all fighting for the showers (A/N: Hogwarts are all high tech and got their students some showers). Sam got there first so I waited in the room with Mikal, Joshua and Nathel. When we had all showered, changed and checked ourselves in the mirror one last time (not because we're vein but because we needed to look good!) we started to make our way down the stairs to meet the girls. From there, we would walk to the Great Hall and join up with our dates. **

"**Ver are the girls?" Nathel asked after ten minutes of waiting in the Common Room. Sam checked his watch for the tenth time in five minutes.**

"**No idea, they should be here by now," he said turning towards the girl's dorms. "Woah!" We all followed his gaze and saw five girls, no **_**angels**_**, standing at the foot of the stairs. **

"**You're looking pretty good yourself Sammy boy," Rebecca said as she walked over to us. She was wearing a purple dress that looked really nice on her but she wasn't the focus of my attention. Rose had just walked into the light. Her brown hair was left natural with half of it up and the rest flowing over her shoulder. She had more make up on than usual, but not too much, and she was walking in a pair of silver heels that I guessed belonged to one of her American friends. She had a pale pink strapless floor length dress with a salmon coloured bow tied to the front and a flower design on the top half of the dress. She saw me looking at her and smiled.**

"**You look beautiful Rosie," I said to her as she blushed and looked away, still smiling. **

"**Come on guys, we all have dates to get to!" Rebecca exclaimed and she grabbed Rose's hand and started walking towards the portrait hole and out of the Common Room. I didn't want to go to the Ball anymore. I felt sick, I had butterflies in my stomach and I didn't know why. But surprises always came easily here at Hogwarts!**


	11. The Only One

Chapter 10 – The Only One

"Wow Roisin, you look amazing!" I heard James say to his _girlfriend_ when we met up with her and Saoirse in the Entrance Hall. She was wearing a midnight blue floor length dress with a silver fastener at the front. I had to hold in a laugh. He called me, his best friend in pink, _beautiful_ and he only called Roisin amazing! But there they were, kissing and holding hands in front of everyone. Rebecca went off with Beth, Diane and Jenna to try and get a last minute date, Sam and Saoirse went into the Great Hall, James and Roisin were acting as if they were the only two in the room and Robert was late.

"I am _so _sorry Rose," Robert said running up to me.

"It's ok Robert, let's just go inside and enjoy ourselves," I said back with a smile.

"Great!" He took my hand in his and we walked into the Great Hall together. I don't know what it was, but for some reason I didn't really want to go to the Ball anymore. I looked back at James and Roisin but they were no longer acting like a couple. Infact, they looked angry with each other! I turned back to the door of the Great Hall and smiled to myself. Maybe it wasn't going to be so much of a disaster after all!

* * *

After an hour of dancing with Robert, I found James sitting down with Sam near the drinks bar, both of them dateless. I walked over to them and sat down.

"You guys having a good night? Robert's just gone to get some drinks; do you want to join us? Where are the girls?" So maybe I asked too many questions, but they were ones I wanted answers to!

"No, we're not having a good night, well at least James isn't; I don't think he's in the mood to have drinks and Saoirse brought Roisin to the bathrooms because she was upset," Sam answered.

"Why? Why me?" James groaned. He banged his head on the table and Sam patted his back.

"He, uh, kinda had a fight with Roisin and they broke up," Sam whispered so only I could hear.

"Oh James," I said while hugging him, "I didn't know." He looked up at me and returned the hug.

"It's ok Rose, I didn't think it was going to last much longer anyway." He let go of me suddenly. "Davies, hope you're enjoying the night." I turned around to see Robert standing behind me with two glasses of Butterbeer.

"Hey Robert, I was wondering what was taking you so long," I said flirtatiously. So maybe I was lying, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Yeah, the queue was terrible. Potter, Weasley, where are Abbot and O'Malley? Lost them already to a bunch of Durmstrangs?" He laughed at his own joke. That made me want to slap him; _how could he be so insensitive? _

"Come on Robert, let's go sit over there and talk," I said pulling him away from James and Sam. When we were sitting at the table on the other side of the room, he started up an uncomfortable conversation.

"So what was wrong with Potter?"

"He's just not in the mood for this Ball thing. So where's Tommy? Did he get a date or did he go stag?" Tommy Corner was the other fourth year Ravenclaw. He was Robert's best friend but had a reputation for getting around with the girls.

"He's with Kiara Smith, but seriously, there was something up with Potter. The way he was looking at you, I didn't like it," Robert said with a tone of disgust.

"What do you mean you didn't like it? He's my best friend and best friends look at eachother because we care about eachother." I was starting to get angry now.

"Look Rose, I know we haven't made it official or anything but we're practically a couple and I just don't want some pretty boy to come and take you away from me. So I would appreciate it if you didn't talk to him anymore."

"Es_cuse_ me? You would _appreciate _that I didn't talk to my _best friend_? Are you insane? There is absolutely no way that I will stop talking to James just because you don't want me to. And since when are we practically a couple?"

"Well Rose I kinda thought that it was obvious. We walk to classes together, we meet up for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we study in the library together and we _did _come to the Ball together. I know we don't do any of that couple stuff that Potter and O'Malley do but we're different, and I would love it if we could start being a proper couple." I didn't have to think twice.

"You make me sick Davies! First you insult my best friend, then you forbid me from talking to him and now you're asking me to go out with you? This is just not on! No matter what you want, but I don't want to be a couple. Please leave me alone," I said getting up and walking away. Once I was out in the Entrance Hall again, I screamed. All around me there were couples going for romantic strolls or snogging. In the corner beside the stairs, five girls were crying because, like me, they were now dateless. But I wasn't going to let myself sink to their level and cry over Davies. I tidied myself up and marched back into the Great Hall. I avoided Robert and started walking back over to James and Sam. They were deep in conversation but when I reached them they stopped.

"Hey guys, what were you talking about?" James looked at Sam.

"Tell her mate, and good luck," Sam said getting up. James took a deep breath.

"Do you wanna dance Rose?"

"Sure," I replied smiling. He stood up, took my hand and brought me into the middle of the floor. It was a slow song, some muggle one called "Get it Right" (A/N: I'm a major Gleek!), so James pulled me close and wrapped his arms around my waist. I put my hand around his neck and we started swaying. "So there was something you wanted to tell me?" I asked.

"Yeah, look Rose, you're very special to me and I don't know what it is, but from the moment I saw you in the Burrow, I felt a connection to you. It was as if you were a magnet and I was a piece of metal and you were pulling me towards you. You and Sam clicked instantly and I felt left out, but then you spent those two weeks at my house and we became best friends. I couldn't stand being away from you for a full day. When we held hands, I felt like I was meant to be there. When Uncle Ron said something about a prophecy, I admit I was a little bit freaked out, but I was happy because I knew that we would end up together sometime." He paused for a minute. I listened closely to the lyrics of the song.

"_Yeah, I'll send down a wish  
Yeah, I'll send up a prayer  
And finally, someone will see  
How much I care!"_

"When I heard that you were going to the Ball with Davies, I got jealous. I asked the first girl that I saw and she thought that we were instantly dating. But you were the only one Rose, the only one I ever wanted to be with. You're the only one that I've ever seen myself marrying, the only one that can actually put up with my family. Rose Davis, you're the only one I will ever love." He leaned forward and kissed me. It was soft and sweet. I tightened my grip around his neck and kissed him back. He was opening my mouth with his tongue and I let him in. Although it got more heated, it stayed passionate and it felt right. I pulled back for air and we looked at eachother. He smiled at me and I smiled back. There was a silence but it wasn't awkward.

"For the record, you're the only one that I love too," I whispered in his ear. He laughed gently and pulled me in for another kiss.

"_Oh, how many times will it take for me?  
To get it right."_


	12. Epilogue  This Day Three Years Ago

Epilogue – This Day Three Years Ago

* * *

This day three years ago, I was Rose Monika Davis. Now, I am Rose "Rosie" Monika Granger. My seventh and final year of Hogwarts has arrived, and so has Hugo's first year. We are just through the barrier and facing the Hogwarts Express.

"Come on Rosie! The train is gonna leave!"

"It won't Hugh. They can't leave without their Head Girl!" That's right, I became Head Girl. And you'll never guess who's Head Boy!

"I'm ten James, not six!" I turn around to see James Potter running towards us, his Head Boy badge reflecting the sunlight. I smile as I see his dark brown hair, messy as always, blowing in the light breeze. His little sister Lily is holding his hand, but complaining. She's very mature for her age, both magical and mentally. Her vivid red hair is tied up in a high ponytail, her skirt reaches just above her knee and she has glasses. Harry says that she's like a miniture Hermione on her first day of school, but with glasses and red hair!

"Whatever Lily," he replies, letting go of her hand in the process. "Hey you," he says smiling.

"Hey yourself!" I hear Hugo groan but decide to ignore him. He walks over to Lily and gives her a hug. They start talking about Hogwarts and leave me and James alone. "Where's Albus?"

"Your boyfriend is here and all your worried about is his _brother_? Should I be worried Rose?" Yeah you heard right, _boyfriend! _A boyfriend of three years might I add! Of course, there were the ups and downs that come with a commited relationship. But then again, we were voted "Hogwarts' Best Couple" of sixth year. And now we were Head Boy and Girl! Things couldn't get better for us.

"Shut up James, I was just curious," I say slapping him playfully on the arm.

"Hey lovebirds," Rebecca calls over to us. I give my best friend a hug and we instantly start gossiping about the summer. "Do you have any idea where Sam is?" She asks me.

"Nope, he didn't come with us this year seeing as we had two extra trunks with us," I answer.

"That's right; Lily and Hugo are starting this year! Are they excited?" Rebecca will always be the same old Rebecca that I met this day three years ago. Except now, she was fully committed to _her_ boyfriend: Sam Weasley. And he definitely wasn't the same Sam from this day three years ago. That day, he kissed me and tried to get me to go out with him. Now, he was one of my best friends and dating Rebecca. He even looked different, with no more red hair but more of an auburn shade. He was a bit more muscular as well and looked like his older brother Jason, who finally got out of Hogwarts with acceptable grades, started working in his Uncle George's shop and was now engaged to a muggle girl called Eliza.

"Why hello there beautiful!"

"Hey," I say to the Weasley boy.

"I was talking to Becca actually," he said reaching out to hug his girlfriend. I couldn't believe that those two ever got together. They used to hate eachother before I came and made them become friends. But then again, today was different from this day three years ago.

"Rose," I turn around and see James holding out his hand for me to take. He's standing outside the Head's carriage with my trunk. I walk over to him. "You ready to go?"

"Sure am," I reply smiling.

"I can't believe this is going to be our last time sitting on this train," he says as he helps me into the carriage.

"I know, but it's not really the end, more like a new beginning," I take his hand in mine and squeeze it.

"You better be right Rosie," he says laughing. Suddenly, he goes quiet. I look at him confused. He just stares at me. But he smiles. He leans in and kisses me softly. When he retreats back, he carresses my cheek with his hand, and continues smiling at me. "I love you Rose."

"I love you too James." And it's true, I really do love him. Who would have thought I would be saying that this day three years ago? Not me.

* * *

_**So this was like the worst ending ever, I know, but it took me forever! Hope you enjoyed this story and thanks to all who reviewed throughout :) ~ Miss Hermione Granger 1995 xX**_


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